Guyana

• tropical;
• hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds;
• two rainy seasons (May to mid-August, mid-November to mid-January)

• mostly rolling highlands;
• low coastal plain;
• savanna in south

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay;
• substantial portions of its western and eastern territories are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively

0-14 years:

27.6% (male 98,198; female 94,397)

15-64 years:

67.4% (male 237,324; female 233,400)

65 years and over:

5% (male 15,510; female 19,380) (2002 est.)

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.8 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

noun:

Guyanese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Guyanese

conventional long form:

Co-operative Republic of Guyana

conventional short form:

Guyana

former:

British Guiana

chief of state:

President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999); note - assumed presidency after resignation of President JAGAN

head of government:

Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since NA December 1997)

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president, responsible to the legislature

elections:

• president elected by the majority party in the National Assembly following legislative elections, which must be held at least every five years;
• elections last held 19 March 2001 (next to be held by March 2006);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of legislative vote - NA%

• Supreme Court of Judicature;
• Judicial Court of Appeal;
• High Court

• Alliance for Guyana or AFG (includes Guyana Labor Party or GLP and Working People's Alliance or WPA) [Rupert ROOPNARAINE];
• Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY];
• Guyana Labor Party or GLP [leader NA];
• People's National Congress or PNC [Hugh Desmond HOYTE];
• People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat JAGDEO];
• Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV];
• The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR];
• Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert ROOPNARAINE]

• Civil Liberties Action Committee or CLAC;
• Guyana Council of Indian Organizations or GCIO;
• Trades Union Congress or TUC

note: the GCIO and the CLAC are small and active but not well organized

chief of mission:

Ambassador Dr. Ali Odeen ISHMAEL

chancery:

2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

consulate(s) general:

New York

FAX:

[1] (202) 232-1297

telephone:

[1] (202) 265-6900

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ronald D. GODARD

embassy:

100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown

mailing address:

P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown

telephone:

[592] 225-4900 through 4909

FAX:

[592] 225-8497

• green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead;
• there is a narrow, black border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border between the yellow and the green

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

• sugar, rice, wheat, vegetable oils;
• beef, pork, poultry, dairy products;
• fish (shrimp)

general assessment:

fair system for long-distance calling

domestic:

microwave radio relay network for trunk lines

international:

tropospheric scatter to Trinidad; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

total:

187 km

standard gauge:

139 km 1.435-m gauge

note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)

narrow gauge:

48 km 0.914-m gauge

total:

7,970 km

paved:

590 km

unpaved:

7,380 km (1996)

total:

2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,929 GRT/4,507 DWT

ships by type:

cargo 2 (2002 est.)

• all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) claimed by Venezuela;
• Suriname claims area between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne);
• territorial sea boundary with Suriname is in dispute